There Is Nothing I Do Better Than Revenge
by pure-black-wings
Summary: The day Natasha Romanoff agreed to Clint Barton's proposal, they were both aware that it would be used against them. The Avengers enjoyed their peace while it lasted, but now the two assassins' pasts come back to haunt them with only one thing in mind: Revenge. Clintasha, Pepperony, Thane, and Bretty. In the same universe as my story 'the First Avenger's Christmas.'
1. An Interrupted Vacation

**Ok, so this takes place two months after my fanfiction the First Avenger's Christmas. Basically, in February 2013. Don't ask why, I just kind of picked a time that seemed reasonable… Anyway, I hope the story is ok. And btw, I promise future chapters will be better than the first one.**

**Disclaimer: I don't know Marvel or the Avengers. Nor do I own the fanfic's name, the name was inspired by the song Better Than Revenge by Taylor Swift, which tends to be one of my favorite songs.**

* * *

Chapter 1: An Interrupted Vacation

They weren't quite sure how Tony talked them into going to Hawaii in the cold month of February, but he had insisted that since it was closer to the equator then New York that they would be able to visit the beach. Although it wasn't as warm as it would've been in the summer, Tony Stark had been correct, not that any of them would admit it.

The Avengers probably allowed themselves to be dragged to Hawaii because this was the first free time they had since Christmas. SHIELD didn't exactly approve of their unexpected vacation, but they hadn't tried to stop them either.

So as Pepper and the Avengers enjoyed their day on the beach, Clint was spending his time annoying his partner.

"Ppplllleeeeaaassseee," Clint whined. He sat in a chair next to Natasha, who claimed she was too busy getting a tan and reading her book to listen to him. "You don't even like reading!"

"That may be so, but I'm not getting in the damn water," the redhead retorted before flipping a page in her book.

Clint groaned in boredom before glancing over at the others. "Come on! Even Pepper got in the water!"

Natasha took off her sunglasses long enough to glare at him. "Will you leave me alone if I do?"

"Yep!"

"Fine."

Clint watched as she got up, obviously taking her time just to bother him. He didn't care much. He was too busy staring at the black bikini she was wearing. Without even looking over at him, she ordered, "Clint, stop looking at my ass."

"Psh, I don't know what you're talking about. And can you hurry it up? You're a spider, not a snail."

"Can you at least try being patient?" Natasha grumbled as she walked past him, making her way to the others. Clint followed, resisting the urge to roll his eyes.

"Hey, Mrs. and Mr. Barton finally decided to join us!" Tony called, as if alerting the others of their presence.

Natasha glared at Tony before turning back to Clint. "That reminds me, I'm keeping my last name."

"We'll see," Clint replied with a cocky grin.

Pepper looked over at them and smiled. "Hey, are you guys getting into the water?"

Clint nodded, but Natasha just folded her arms with an annoyed look on her face.

"You could join Son of Rogers and I in creating our magnificent castle of sand," Thor suggested. Steve didn't remember the last time he went to the beach, so he decided to build a sand castle. Thor, who seemed to be missing Asguard, wanted to make it look like his castle back home; so Steve let him join. That only reminded the Avenger's that that was going to be Thor's last week on Earth for a while, which they avoided talking about.

"No, thanks," Natasha replied, glancing over at Bruce who sat on the shore in silence. Then she turned back to Tony, Pepper, and Clint. "You know what; I'm just going to go back to reading."

As she turned around, Clint grabbed her around the waist and quickly picked her up. Natasha growled as she tried to punch him in the face. "Put me down you idiot!"

"It's not my fault you only weigh 110 pound, Nat," Clint replied with a grin before throwing her into the water.

Tony snickered as the Black Widow surfaced, getting a slap in the arm by Pepper.

"Bastard," Natasha snarled before grabbing Clint's arm and pulling him into the water. Pepper and Tony watched quietly as they began a sparring match before turning to Bruce.

"How about we go ahead and get dinner," Pepper suggested. Bruce and Tony murmured in agreement before following the strawberry blonde away from the assassins.

Meanwhile, Thor beamed as he put the finishing touches on the sand castle. "It is completed!"

Steve only managed to stare at the pile of sand in awe. His Asguardian teammate had built an amazing replica of his home, or what he guessed was Thor's home. It's not like he had actually been there or anything. "Wow, Thor…"

"Let us join the others in getting supper!" The thunder god announced as he followed the foot prints Pepper, Tony, and Bruce had left in the sand. Steve gave the sand castle only last glance before jogging to catch up.

* * *

Steve, Bruce, and Thor sat in Tony and Pepper's room with them, watching Dark Knight Rises as ate the food they had ordered from room service.

"Wow," Tony began as he stuffed a piece of food in his mouth. "Cat Woman is hot."

Pepper immediately glared at her fiancé, getting a sheepish smile back.

Bruce leaned over to Steve and whispered, "How much do you want to bet that they're going to get divorced within two months?"

"Five bucks," Steve replied.

"Just five?"

"Hey, I'm a super soldier, not a millionaire."

Thor was too busy watching the movie to pay attention to the others' conversations, but he was the only one to hear the knock on the door. "Man of Iron, I believe someone is requesting entrance."

Tony glanced at the door as if he expected it to open on its own. Suddenly remembering that he didn't have Jarvis, he turned to Pepper and gave her his best puppy dog eyes. Pepper groaned as she got to her feet. Stalking over to the door, she turned the door knob only to have Clint and Natasha burst in.

Clint looked fine; his hair seemed normal and he wore a simply t-shirt and shorts. Natasha one the other hand wore a tank top and shorts while her hair was a matted mess on the top of her head.

"Wow, Spidey, what happened to your hair?" Tony asked, staring at it in disbelief.

"That idiot decided to shove sand in my hair, and now it won't come out," Natasha complained, shooting Clint a death glare. Clint just shrugged and took a seat beside Thor.

Before they could resume the movie, a familiar voice came out of Tony's lap top. "Sir, Director Fury is requesting a video chat."

"Tell him to piss off, Jarvis. We're on vacation," Tony told his AI.

"But, sir, he says it's a mission for Agents Romanoff and Barton."

"Great, then leave me alone and let them talk to Fury."

Natasha stared at the computer before shaking her head. "There is no way I'm talking to my boss looking like this."

"I'm afraid he says it's urgent," Jarvis replied.

Clint sighed before strolling of to the computer and clicking 'accept video chat'.

"Agent Barton," Fury greeted as he and Maria Hill appeared on the computer screen. "Where's Agent Romanoff?"

Natasha took a deep breath before taking a seat next to her partner. "Here, sir."

"HOLY-"

"Wow, it's good to see you too, Hill," Natasha interrupted, her tone dripping sarcasm. Clint snickered slightly, getting a glare from Natasha. "Barton decided throwing sand into my hair was a good idea."

"I don't need to know what your personal life, Romanoff," Fury replied, a stern look remaining on his face.

Clint held back another laugh as he attempted a professional expression. Frankly, he failed. "What happen this time, Director? Loki blew up the Empire State Building? There's proof that dragons are real?"

"This is a serious matter, Barton. This morning a man went missing in Waverly, Iowa, and there has been no sign of him. No ransom, no security footage, nothing," Fury stated, watching Clint carefully.

"Why should we care?" piped Natasha. "People get kidnapped every day. This is a job for the local police or FBI, not SHIELD."

"But this man has been under our watch for a while," Fury replied, "His name Charles Bernard Barton."

Clint's bored expression hardened as he stared at the director. They all waited for him to speak, but he didn't even move a muscle.

"Is that…?" Tony began, but he never found the words to finish his sentence.

Natasha gave him a short nod before setting her hand on her partner's shoulder. "Clint?"

Clint's stormy blue gaze flickered over to her before returning to Fury and Hill. "It doesn't matter. Barney's not my family anymore."

"We've been watching him because the fact that he's your brother, but that's not why you and Romanoff are getting this mission," Maria Hill spoke up, glancing at Fury.

Fury sighed. "We're assigning you this mission because of what the kidnappers left behind."

"What did they leave behind?" Bruce asked from where he sat on the couch.

Then Fury held a postcard up to the camera. It had an old Spanish castle on it and the words, 'Welcome to Barcelona'.

"We think this is where they want Romanoff and you to meet them," Maria added.

Clint blinked in confusion. "And why do you think Natasha's part of this?"

"Because this was with the postcard," Fury replied as he pulled out a small photograph. All of the Avengers noticed how Natasha stiffened and she momentarily stopped breathing. The photograph had a long haired Natasha on it, and for once she looked truly happy. Beside her was a strong-looking man with bright red hair and ocean blue eyes. The team didn't ask questions, they only watched as Fury turned the photo over. The words written on the back said, 'Он был некоторое время, не так ли, Natalia?'

Steve blinked in confusion and cleared his throat. "Um, what does that say?"

Clint was the one who replied. "It says 'It's been awhile, hasn't it, Natalia?'" Then he turned to his partner for an explanation, but she didn't offer one.

"We accept the mission," Natasha said bluntly before quickly shutting the lab top. The Black Widow remained silent, staring at the wall in order to avoid the staring gazes' of her teammates.

"Natasha," Clint began as he reached his hand out to comfort her, but she only slapped it away. "Who was that?"

Natasha then glanced around the room at Thor, Steve, Bruce, Tony, and Pepper who seemed just as curious as Clint. "His name is Alexei."

Clint flinched slightly. "The Alexei you told me about in Budapest?"

Natasha nodded slowly before whispering, "He's supposed to be dead."

"Ok, let me get this straight, Barney is Clint's brother?" Pepper asked, looking seriously confused. The nod in response was enough for her. "So how do you know Alexei, Natasha?"

"I would also like to know, Lady Widow," Thor spoke up.

Natasha hesitated before replying, "He's my ex-husband."

Silence filled the room, and before anyone could say anything, Natasha got to her feet.

"I'm gonna go pack," she muttered before stomping out of Pepper and Tony's room.

Everyone turned to Clint, but he just shook his head and followed his wife-to-be out of the room.

"So the Black Widow really is a widow, huh?" Tony asked, trying to bring some humor into the conversation. Sadly, no one was amused.

"Or she thought she was at least," Bruce replied quietly.

Pepper sighed before glancing at the door. "Wow, they have more emotional issues with their pasts then you do, Tony."

Steve, Bruce, and Thor let out slight chuckles, but Tony just stared at Pepper in disbelief. "Seriously? You got them to laugh, and I couldn't?"

"It's not my fault we're all stuck listening to the same jokes all day."

* * *

**I promise that future chapters will be longer, and better at that. I personally don't like this chapter, I just wasn't quite sure how else to do the intro. Also, next chapter we get to see why I gave the fanfiction its name.**** Anyway, please favorite, follow, or review. Comments and critique are appreciated.**

**pure-black-wings**


	2. Natasha's Memories

Chapter 2: Natasha's Memories

Natasha stomped into her hotel room, slamming the door shut behind her. It couldn't be true, Alexei had died. The Red Room told her so, not that their information had ever been truthful. She grabbed her suitcase and began stuffing all of her clothes, weapons, and other items into the bag. It might have been vacation, but there was no one who could talk her out of bringing her guns and knives with her. Stark's personal airlines didn't exactly have the best security.

The sun's rays gleamed through the curtains in her room, lighting up the room with a radiant glow. The blue-green waves of the ocean were visible out the window. It was a beautiful scene, but Natasha didn't care. She just kept shoving all of her things into her black suitcase until none of her belongings remained in the room.

Just as the redhead sat down on the bed, Clint came strolling into the room. She shot him the deadliest glare she could manage before mumbling, "Get out."

"Tasha," Clint began, but Natasha didn't let him finish.

"Leave me alone."

Clint let out a deep sigh. "Tash, we kind of share a room, you know."

Shit. She had forgotten that. Note to self: Never share a room with your partner when you might decide you want to be alone. Natasha's only response was a snort as she turned her distant green gaze to the wall.

"Nat, are you alright?" Clint asked slowly, cautiously making his way over to his fiancé. One wrong move and he was pretty sure she would find no shame in throwing him out the window.

He got no answer as a response. Just when he thought he should repeat the question, Natasha shook her head. Clint finally reached her side and sat down on the bed beside her. She tensed ever so slightly, but her eyes remained fixed on the wall.

If Clint wasn't concerned before, he was defiantly starting to worry now. Natasha usually relaxed when he came to talk to her, but she never got even more stressed. Well, she used to, but that was beside the point.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Clint asked. Natasha simply shook her head once more. He understood; he hadn't wanted to talk about what was bothering him after Loki messed with his mind.

Slowly, and carefully, the sandy blonde archer slipped his arm around Natasha's waist, pulling her closer to him. The redhead immediately relaxed into him, resting her head on his chest. Clint set his chin on top of her still disastrous crimson hair with a sigh. He knew she would never let him do this if anyone else was in the room with them, nor if she wasn't in a bad mood. But right now, Natasha Romanoff couldn't help but feel like everything she knew was a lie.

_FLASHBACK _

_A loud laugh echoed throughout the room as the strong man picked up the scarlet haired women and threw her over his shoulder with ease._

"_Alexei Shostakov, Поставьте меня вниз!" (Alexei Shostakov, put me down!) the woman managed between laughs. A joyful look sparkled in her bright green eyes and her curly red hair hung in her face._

_The man grinned, his ocean blue eyes gleaming mischievously. "Что вы можете дать мне если я, Natalia?" (What will you give me if I do, Natalia?)_

"_Просто поставьте меня вниз," (Just put me down.) Natalia Romanova repeated, doing her best to slap Alexei in the back on the head. _

_The red haired man chuckled before setting his wife on the ground. He watched with a smile on his face as she finished laughing. Once she had finally fallen into silence, Alexei said, "Вы знаете ли я работать завтра, так? Они хотят меня плавать под их в Праге я считаю." (You know I have to work tomorrow, right? They want me to fly them to Prague, I believe.)_

_Natalia stuck out her bottom lip in a pout before sighing in defeat. "Вы будете осторожны, правильно?" (You'll be careful, right?)_

"_Конечно. Anyway, я просто экспериментальный, и вы. Нет опасности для нашей работы," (Or course. Anyway, I'm just a pilot, and you're a ballerina. There's no danger in our jobs.) Alexei pointed out._

_Natalia nodded, it was true, but for some reason she felt that he was terribly wrong. She was just a ballerina, right? The redhead searched her mind for any memory of something dangerous happening during a performance, but she found none. Danger was something her brain told her she was familiar with, but why couldn't her foggy memories recall anything?_

"_Я мог прибыть сегодня вечером. См. вас, когда я вернусь назад, мои дорогие," (I was told to arrive tonight. See you when I get back, my dear.) Alexei spoke, ripping Natalia from her thoughts. _

_She pressed a short kiss to his lips before watching as he began to walk away. She wasn't too sure why she was worrying, he would return in a few days. He always did._

…

…

…

_A loud banging on the front door awoke Natalia from her trance. She tore her eyes away from the window where she had been watching the rain fall to look over at the wooden front door. Who would visit her in this weather? It was storming outside, not to mention none of her neighbors really liked her._

_She brushed her long, scarlet hair out of her face before slowly making her way to the front door and opening it. A woman with long, curly blonde hair and light blue eyes stood in her doorway, watching her with hateful eyes and a smile on her face. Although she had no memory of the woman, she looked oddly familiar._

"_чего ты хочешь?" (What do you want?) Natalia asked. When the woman noticed that there was no sign of annoyance in her voice, a curious look flashed in her blue eyes before disappearing once more. _

"_Боюсь, что я есть некоторые плохие новости. Это ваш муж, Alexei." (I'm afraid I have some bad news. It's about your husband, Alexei.)_

_Fear appeared on Natalia's face as she stared at the woman. "Он хорошо?" (Is he alright?)_

_The woman was taken back but Natalia's concern. _She _was actually worried for someone? Well, the woman had no doubt that she would regret her vulnerability. When she replied her voice was blunt and flat, as if the situation didn't bother her at all. "Он умер. Он погиб в авиакатастрофе." (He's dead. He died in a plane crash.)_

_A million thoughts swirled through Natalia's head, until her felt tears threaten to stream down her face. Instinctively, she pushed back the tears, her face turning emotionless. Anger bubbled inside her as images of torture, pain, death, and blood filled her mind. She wasn't Natalia Romanova the famous ballerina; she was Agent Natalia Romanova aka the cold, heartless Black Widow. She had been lied to; she had been brainwashed. _

_The blonde woman, who Natalia now recognized, smirked as the other woman's face turned into the familiar one she was so use to. Suddenly, she switched to English, her Roman accent seeping through like poison. "I almost thought you grew soft on me, Agent Romanova."_

_Natalia shot her 'co-worker' one of her infamous glares. She had never liked that woman, and now she had helped the Red Room destroy the only part of her life that she ever truly loved. Oh, the Black Widow was back alright, and she was hungry was blood. "Not in a million years."_

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Natasha buried her face in Clint's chest, but mumbling in a shaky voice, "Thank you."

"For what?" Clint asked softly before pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"For not leaving me."

* * *

"Do you think they're alright?" Steve asked quietly from where he sat by Bruce and Thor in Tony and Pepper's suite.

"I don't know. They both seemed pretty shaken up when they left," Bruce replied.

Thor shrugged. "Eye of Hawk and Lady Widow have been through much worse than talking about their past."

"I don't know about that, Natasha's past seems like something out of a horror novel," Pepper piped up from where she sat next to Tony. Suddenly, the four boys in the room all turned to her in shock.

"She told you about her past?"

"What happened?"

"Pepper, you have to tell us!"

The strawberry blonde put her hands over her ears as if trying to block out the sound of them rambling. Yet, nothing could block out the loud god of thunder, or Tony Stark for that matter.

"Guys!" Pepper yelled, silencing them. "She didn't even really want to tell me, so I doubt she wants you to know. Just wait until she's ready, ok?"

Steve, Bruce, and Thor mumbled a 'yes ma'am', while Tony grabbed his lap top.

"Tony Stark, what are you doing?"

"If you won't tell me, then I'll just look up Legolas and Little Red's files at SHIELD," Tony replied.

Pepper blinked in confusion. "Doesn't that require at least a Level 7 clearance?"

"Uh, hello. I'm Tony Stark. I do what I want."

* * *

While the Avengers were in Hawaii, the evening streets of Barcelona, Spain remained as busy as ever. The moon glistened in the dark sky, and the city lights lit up every visible corner of the roads.

On the sidewalks, a honey blonde haired woman wearing a long blue dress exited a restaurant, holding hands with a wealthy looking Spanish man. She was laughing gleefully as the man smiled at her and talked aimlessly.

The man leaned over and whispered something in the woman's ear that made a huge grin spread across her face. She giggled as he began to lead her into the nearest ally. It wasn't pitch black, but dark enough so that no one would be able to notice them.

As soon as they got far enough into the shadows, the man roughly shoved her against the wall, smashing his lips to her's. The blonde woman kissed him with the same amount of force.

Just as the man pulled back, a sharp pain exploded from his chest. He glanced down with his chocolate brown gaze to see a large dagger sticking out of his chest.

"¡Ay, qué he hecho eso?" (Oops, did I do that?) The blonde woman asked innocently, the Spanish accent that had been in her voice all night had disappeared.

She watched with a satisfied smile as the man fell to the ground limply, his wound continuing to bleed.

"You know, you have blood on your chest, my dear," a voice with a thick accent rang through her ears. The blonde haired woman stiffened as her light blue eyes darted around the ally. That's when she spotted two men approaching her.

She prepared herself to fight, but then recognition flashed in her eyes as she one of their faces clearly. "What have I done to deserve this visit?" She spoke, her true Russian accent returning to her tone.

"Stop with the flattery, Yelena, for it will get you nowhere."

Yelena Belova's face remained emotionless as they came closer to her. "Very well, sir. What do you want?"

The shorter man, the one she recognized, grinned mischievously. "You remember our dear friend Natalia, correct?"

The honey blonde's eyes narrowed at the name. Of course she remembered Natalia Romanova. The traitor, the fool. The one who had always managed to beat her. "Oh, I assure you, sir, I have not forgotten her. But is it a good idea to speak of that turncoat now?"

The man noticed Yelena glancing over at the burly man standing next to him. "No need to fear. He's just as familiar with the Black Widow as we are."

Yelena couldn't stop the snarl that escaped her mouth. "_She _isn't the Black Widow! I am!"

The short man didn't seem too pleased with the agent's outburst, but he ignored it all the same. "I'm sure you can guess who the Red Guardian is if actually tried, Agent Belova. You were trained better than that."

The honey blonde haired girl stared at the man next to the short man. The Red Guardian. Yes, there was a lot of chatter about him around the Red Room. But how would he know Natalia?

The two men watched as an evil grin appeared on Yelena's face. "Oh, my, you're even crueler that they say you are. When will you let her know that she shed all those tears for nothing?"

"I see your memory has not failed you. Good. Now, how would you like to join us in meeting Natalia and her little Hawk here in Barcelona in a few days?"

Yelena tilted her head to the side. She wondered how he had managed to talk Agent Romanova into coming to Barcelona, but she had learned the hard way not to question his actions. "Of course I would. There's something I would like to tell my former co-worker."

"And what is that?" The Red Guardian spoke up.

Yelena's eyes glanced between the two men as she gave them a crooked smile. "I would like to tell our redheaded assassin something that she has probably forgotten over the course of eight years."

There was a pause before she continued, "That there is nothing I do better than revenge."

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**I hope you like chapter 2! Please favorite, follow, or review. Reviews make my day. :)**

**pure-black-wings**


	3. Clint's Memories

**Sorry about the grammar issues with the last chapter. I'm working on that… And by the way, the history of the characters may be a little off from the comics.**

* * *

Chapter 3: Clint's Memories

Clint and Natasha weren't sure how long they remained silent, but the obnoxious ringing of Clint's cell phone seemed to bring them back to reality. When her partner made no motion to answer it, Natasha growled slightly, "Pick up your damn phone, Barton."

The archer sighed before getting up and answering the call. "Hello? …. Oh, ok. Thanks."

"Well?" Natasha asked immediately after he set the phone down.

"Weren't you the one who told me to learn be patient?"

Natasha ignored his question. "Who the hell was it?"

Clint chuckled quietly before reaching towards his suitcase. "SHIELD. The jet is here."

"You know you haven't pack, right?" Natasha pointed out as she grabbed her black suitcase.

"I'll meet you by the car," the sandy blonde agent replied before adding, "And I'm driving."

"I never get to drive!"

"Because SHIELD revoked your driver's license. Well, there's that, and because every time you drive the police try to give you a DUI."

Natasha mumbled somehow about her driving skills before walking out of the room, her suitcase rolling behind her. Clint couldn't help but let out a small laugh once she was out of earshot. It was true; Natasha Romanoff was the worst driver he had ever met. She had managed to crash a 30 cars and a jet (Don't ask) within her time at SHIELD.

When Clint finally finished packing, he quickly shut the door and began to head to the lobby of the hotel.

* * *

Pepper sighed as Steve, Bruce, Tony, and Thor all gasped in unison. Tony had found Clint and Natasha's files and began reading them. Thor was curious and joined him, but Steve and Bruce hadn't wanted to invade on their teammates' privacy. In the end, Tony had forced them to begin reading the files. The two hadn't stopped, for they claimed it was very interesting.

She on the other hand, had flat out refused. Unlike the others, Tony didn't have an influence on her actions.

Suddenly, they heard a door shut from the hallway. Pepper watched as Tony hopped to his feet and raced towards the door.

"That could be Barton and Romanoff!" Tony exclaimed as he opened the door.

"Tony, leave them alone," Pepper scowled.

Tony glanced over at Steve, Bruce, and Thor before returning his gaze to Pepper. "I just want to tell my good friends goodbye. Is that so much to ask for?"

The strawberry blonde sighed. "Whatever."

And just like that, Tony darted into the hallway before he could get yelled at again.

"Hey Barton!"

Clint paused and turned to look at the billionaire. "What do you want Tony?"

"I just wanted to tell that I'm really sorry about your brother and…" Tony began, but the archer interrupted him.

"This is your way of telling me you read my file, isn't it?"

A sheepish grin grew on Tony's face, making Clint shot him a glare. The genius quickly threw his hands up in surrender. "Hey, it's not my fault! Pepper talked me into it…"

"I DID NOT!"

Tony Stark blinked in confusion as he glanced back towards his room. "Wow… That was kinda creepy."

Clint just sighed and shook his head. "Whatever, Stark. I have to get to the rental car before 'Tasha decides to drive it around."

"Oh, by the way, you still owe me for when she crashed my mustang."

"You're a billionaire. Deal with it."

And with that, the assassins left Hawaii, while the other Avengers tried to continue their vacation instead of worrying for their teammates.

* * *

"Barton, you're staring at the wall again."

Clint blinked before glancing at Natasha, who was watching him closely. "What?"

"You're acting like I was an hour ago," Natasha replied, still keeping her green gaze fixed on her partner.

Clint shifted in his seat before glancing over at the pilot. Once he was sure the pilot was too far away to hear, he spoke, "You know, I didn't exactly have the best relationship with Barney."

_No kidding, _Natasha thought, brushing a strand of her short, curly red hair out her face before leaning back onto the cold metal wall of the jet.

Clint glanced at his partner before returning his eyes to the wall.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Clint!" An annoyed dirty blonde haired boy hissed. The boy who looked about fourteen years old glanced around the bedroom he shared with his brother as he clutched a piece of paper._

"_Barney, I'm up here!" Clint's voice came from the air vent above Barney's bed. Suddenly, the metal bars in front of the vent came crashing down onto the bed. Then a sandy blonde haired eleven year old's head peeped out of the air vent._

_Barney narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?! Get down here, I have something to show you."_

_Clint obediently hopped out of the vent, walking to Barney's side. "What is it?"_

_Barney didn't reply, he just unfolded the piece of paper in his hand and passed it to his little brother. It was a picture of a large red tent, animals, and performers with the words, 'Carson Carnival of Travelling Wonders- preforming September 12-15'._

"_Aww, man! The circus ended today; we missed it!" Clint complained, getting a punch in the arm from his brother._

"_That's not the point, you dumby. How badly do you want to leave the orphanage?" Barney asked, a mischievous smile growing on his face._

_Clint's eyes sparkled with joy. "Are you suggesting we run away to the circus?"_

_The fourteen year old boy grinned and nodded. Clint pumped his fist in the air before hopping onto his brother's bed and climbing back into the air vent. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come on!"_

_Barney chuckled slightly. Clint Barton may act like an idiot sometimes, but other times he was one of the cleverest people Barney had ever met._

…

…

…

"_Wow, you're an archer?" Clint asked as he watched his new mentor, Swordsman, pick up a bow and quiver. _

"_Yep," Swordsman replied before adding, "And you could be too. If you'd like."_

_Clint's eyes widened as he watched the man in front of him pull back his bow and shoot one of the targets in the small tent. "Really?"_

_Before Swordsman could reply, Trick Shot and Barney strolled into the tent._

_Barney gave Clint a small wave, but he remained at Trick Shot's side. Clint grinned at his brother. Running away to the circus was the best idea Barney had ever had, and for that Clint owed him._

"_Hey, I'm going to start training Barney," Trick Shot told Swordsman as the man pulled another arrow out from his quiver._

_Swordsman didn't even glance over at the other circus performer. "Okay. What about it?"_

"_Shouldn't you start training Clint, too?" Trick Shot prompted._

"_Yeah, yeah, I will."_

_Clint and Barney shared one last glance before Trick Shot and Barney exited the tent once more. Swordsman sighed and walked over to the corner of the tent where multiple black cases sat. Clint watched as the man opened one of them and pulled out a bow, much smaller than his own._

"_Here you go, kid," Swordsman spoke, offering the bow to Clint. The eleven year old eagerly took the bow before glancing back up at his mentor._

_Without speaking, Swordsman began to prepare to shoot at the target. Clint knew the man didn't talk much, but he could tell that he wanted Clint to copy what he was doing. _

_So the boy mimicked his mentor's actions. He hesitated when he pulled the string back, unsure of what exactly to do next._

"_Close one of your eyes and use the other to aim accurately," Swordsman's voice suggested from behind him. _

_He nodded and aimed his shot before letting go. The arrow sliced through the air and landed only a centimeter away from the center of the target._

_Clint seemed slightly disappointed, that is, until Swordsman grinned and said, "Great first try! Your aim is amazing. It's almost like you have eyes like a hawk!"_

_A smile appeared on the sandy blonde haired boy's face as an idea popped into his head. Then he whispered, "Hawkeye."_

…

…

…

"_Barney!" an eighteen year old Clint Barton exclaimed, grabbing his brother's arm. Barney, who was twenty-one, rolled his eyes, but he followed the archer out of the main circus tent. Clint continued to grip his arm as he weaved through the crowd, leading his brother away from the circus._

_When they finally stopped, Barney ripped his arm away from Clint, growling, "What the hell is it this time, Clint?"_

"_It's Swordsman!" Clint hissed, noticing immediately how his brother's expression hardened at the sound of the name. "He's been stealing thousands of dollars from the circus and using it on himself!"_

"_It's none of our business. Let's just let him be," Barney replied sternly. _

_Clint just shook his head. "No, Barney, this is wrong. We have to tell the ringmaster."_

_Barney hung his head to the side before taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, but I can't do that. And I can't let you tell him either."_

_Clint's eyes widened. He thought that Barney was just being protective because Swordsman had been one of his good friends ever since the two brothers had switched mentors years ago. Now he knew that his original guess had been wrong. "You knew. You knew and you didn't tell anyone!"_

_Barney shot him a glare before nodding. Suddenly, a group of men approached them, forming a circle around them. Barney gave him one last glance before stepping out of the circle, watching as the men surrounded his brother. _

_Then the twenty-one year old man turned and began to walk away. Then he heard, "Barney! Barney! Brother! Don't leave me…"_

_Clint's voice faded as a sickening crack echoed through Barney's ears. He made no motion to help the archer against the men who were beating him up, nor did he look back._

_The last thing Clint thought before his vision turned black was, _'I no longer have a brother.'

_END OF FLASHBACK_

Natasha quickly turned to look at her partner when she noticed him flinch out of the corner of her eyes. "You ok?"

Clint glanced over at her in surprise, almost as if he had forgotten she was there, before shrugging.

Before she could respond, the jet shook slightly as it landed on the SHIELD helicarrier. The pilot pressed a button on the controls that opened the door before turning to them. "Director Fury wished to speak with you before you leave for your mission."

Clint nodded and walked out of the jet, leaving Natasha there alone. She blinked in confusion before hardening her expression. Hey, she had a reputation to keep alive. She made her way through the hallways to Nick Fury's office to find Clint already there.

"Agent Romanoff, nice of you to join us," Fury stated, watching as Natasha took a seat in a chair next to Clint. "As you both know, your mission will take place in Barcelona. You will be retrieving Charles "Barney" Bernard Barton, and a man named Alexei Shostakov may be his captor."

Both Clint and Natasha weren't overly fond with having Fury bring up Barney and Alexei up, but they both tried their best to be professional.

Natasha was the first to speak. "Is there anything else, sir?"

"Are you sure both of you are up for the mission?"

Natasha blinked. How could Fury doubt them? They had dealt with emotional issues during missions before… They didn't always deal with them in a smart way, but they did it either way.

"No offense, Director, but I don't think anyone else would be willing to handle the mission," Clint replied flatly.

Fury just nodded and watched as they both exited his office. Once they began heading back to the jet, Natasha caught Maria watching her.

'What's wrong?' The black haired agent mouthed. Ever since Phil died, Clint and Natasha had both grown closer to Maria, since she was as close to him as they had been.

'Complicated,' Natasha mouthed back. Maybe she would tell Agent Hill what was going on when they got back, but for now Natasha's main focus was trying to comfort her partner on the plane flight to Spain. It was the only way she could think of from distracting herself from the fact that that evening she would have to face Alexei.

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**I hope the chapter was ok. I know it was kind of short, and I'm sorry about that. I'll try to make the next one longer. Please review; Reviews make my day. :)**

**pure-black-wings**


	4. Old 'Friends'

**I hope this chapter is ok. I'm not very good with action, so comments and critique for how I did would be very appreciate.**

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Chapter 4: Old 'Friends'

"Widow, are you sure they would be here?"

"Positive."

"How do you know?"

"The Red Room used this place as a base when necessary."

The moon lit up the night sky as the Black Widow and Hawkeye approached an abandoned warehouse outside of Barcelona. Clint had his doubts about the place, but he didn't dare say it out loud. He learned not to question his partner the hard way.

"Hey, Nat?" Clint asked in a hushed voice. Natasha looked to him with her 'what the hell is it now' face. "You should probably take it off."

A confused look grew in redheaded assassin's eyes. "Take what off?"

"The ring," the archer replied.

Natasha sighed and pulled a silver chain off from around her neck; on the end of the chain hung the engagement ring. She slipped it back around her neck before replying, "Clint, it'll be fine."

Clint just sighed before sprinting off toward the warehouse, his bow in hand. As usual, she would go in while he watched from above. It was a fairly simple concept; she just hoped he wouldn't screw it up.

She followed soon afterwards, approaching the warehouse's entrance. When she got to the door, she noticed that the building hadn't changed much since the Red Room had used it. The walls were a dull gray, and there were dents in the floorboards. The lights hung from the ceiling limply, adding only a small amount of light to the empty space.

Natasha moved through the rooms silently, keeping to the shadow that seemed to engulf the walls. She went through nearly a dozen empty

"_Romanoff, do you copy?" _Clint's voice rang through her ear.

Natasha sighed before whispering a response, "I copy."

"_Good. By the way, there's a man in the next room."_

The master assassin didn't respond. Instead, she kept quiet as she slipped into the dark room just in time to see silhouette of the man darting out of the room.

She cursed under her breath in Russian before beginning to run after him, but someone stepped in front of the doorway, blocking her way. "Oh, I'm sorry. He doesn't want to see you quite yet."

Natasha froze as the stared at the figure in front of her. It might have been hard to see because the lack of light, but she would recognize that voice anywhere. "Yelena."

Clint mumbled something into the com link once more, but Natasha ignored him.

"It's been awhile, hasn't it, Natalia?" the blonde haired Russian said.

"That's not my name anymore." Natasha's response was spoken with an emotionless tone. Even the sight of one of the Red Room agents made her expression hardened, almost as if she was trying to prove that she hadn't changed.

Yelena tilted her head to the side slightly. "Oh, that's right. You prefer _Natasha _now. Did the Hawk give you that name? Where is he anyway? We are all very eager to meet the fool that took the Red Room's… favorite agent away from them."

Natasha couldn't help but snort slightly. After all those years, she could tell that Yelena Belova still held a grudge against her. "What do you mean by 'we'?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" the blonde replied with a grin before throwing a punch at Natasha's face. She blocked it with ease and kicked Yelena in the stomach. The Russian spy didn't even flinch.

Natasha swiftly pulled her gun out from its holster and sent two bullets flying at her opponent. Yelena dodged one of them while the other grazed her shoulder, ripping her suit slightly.

The red-haired woman decided that this was a perfect opportunity to taunt the Red Room agent. "Eight years, and you still can't dodge two bullets at once? I'm beginning to wonder why they even felt you could be their new Black Widow."

Yelena let out a snarl before pulling out a knife and flinging it towards the first Black Widow's head. Natasha twisted out of the way, watching as the dagger just barely missed her face. Crap. The crazy woman had actually improved her aim.

She pulled the trigger on her gun once more, but instead of simply dodging the bullet, Yelena darted forward. The blonde threw a punch towards Natasha's ribs, which she moved to block, but as she did she felt a fist connect with her jaw. A satisfied smirk grazed Yelena's lips a pop opened throughout the air.

Before Natasha could react, a black arrow sliced through the air and landed in Yelena's shoulder. That made the woman winced slightly, before glancing up at the redhead. "Oh, so the SHIELD agent is here? I'm sure the others would love to know that."

All the master assassin could see was a flash of blonde hair as Yelena raced out of the room. She began to follow her until Clint dropped down from the ceiling rafters. "Nat, let me see your jaw."

Natasha started to complain, but her partner was already at her side. He carefully lifted his hand, using it to pop her jaw back into place. She winced before letting out a growl, "I can fend for myself. Your letting them get away!"

"You could at least say thank you," Clint muttered, beginning to jog over to the door.

Natasha rolled her eyes before running as fast as she could after Yelena, still holding her gun. "Pick up the pace, Hawkeye!"

The red-haired SHIELD agent raced Yelena, only coming to a stop when the other assassin slowed down and slipped into the farthest room from the entrance of the warehouse. Natasha slowly followed her inside, glancing around until she spotted something that made her freeze slightly.

"Ah, I see you remember Alexei," Yelena said from the corner of the room, her voice almost a mock purr.

Natasha didn't even bother looking over at Yelena. She kept her bright green gaze on the man beside the honey blonde haired women, Alexei.

"You cut your hair, Natalia," Alexei observed. Natasha narrowed her eyes slightly, but kept silent. The man paused before continuing, "And your uniform seems… Different."

Natasha glanced at the SHIELD logo on the shoulder of her suit.

Alexei chuckled slightly. "I think I prefer you in the Red Room's suit. Don't you think so, Yelena?"

A flash of anger flashed in the blonde's eyes, but it disappeared quickly. Natasha was fully aware of Yelena's continued hatred of her. And she was happy to say that the feeling was neutral. "Indeed. The Red Room is eager to have their… _best _accomplishment back."

Before the red-haired assassin could reply, Clint dropped down from the ceiling rafters, landing beside her. Natasha shot him a look that said, '_What the hell, couldn't you just use the door?'_ Clint shrugged lightly before his stormy blue gaze darted over to Alexei and Yelena.

Yelena seemed annoyed at his sudden entrance, and even though her main focus was still on the first Black Widow, her onserved at him carefully. Alexei on the other hand watched Clint with curiosity and loathing. "Is this the infamous Hawkeye?"

"The one and the only," Clint replied with a mock bow. Alexei narrowed his eyes before looking back at Natasha.

"I'm not going back to the Red Room, Alexei, so just leave," the assassin snarled.

"Then don't come back to the Red Room. Come back to me, Natalia," the Red Guardian replied, offering her his hand. Natasha stared at it, staying absolutely motionless.

Natasha and Alexei were caught up in the conversation, so they were both completely unaware of the worried look Clint sent his partner. Unfortunately, Yelena noticed. _How interesting._

"Why would I do that?" the Black Widow asked slowly, her mind returning to reality.

Alexei gave her a small smile. "Because Natalia Romanova and I were in love, and unlike the rest of your memories from that time, that was not fake."

"Love is for children," Before Natasha could even control herself those four familiar words came tumbling out of her mouth. It was mechanical, and spoken with no emotion. Then she added, "You were the fool who taught me that."

Suddenly, the sound of a helicopter starting up echoed through the building. Alexei turned to Natasha, his expression darkened. "We will have you back, my dear. I can promise you that."

Then the Red Guardian fled the room, yelling something to Yelena that was muffled by the booming sound of the helicopter blades.

For the first time since the Red Guardian and the Black Widow began speaking, Natasha and Clint glanced over to where Yelena had been standing, only to find an empty corner. Then a gun shot rang out behind them, making Natasha whirl around.

Yelena put a hand to her mouth, faking a shocked expression. "Oops."

Natasha's eyes darted towards her partner, a look of panic filling her bright green eyes.

"Good luck fixing your Hawk, Natalia. It was a pleasure seeing you again," Yelena purred before racing after Alexei.

Natasha didn't even watch to make sure that Yelena actually left. She knelt down beside her partner, glancing at the blood pouring out of the bullet wound in shoulder. "Clint? Clint, are you ok?"

"Just _peachy_, Nat," Clint grunted.

He struggled to get in a sitting position, but Natasha pushed him back down. "Relax. I'll stop the bleeding…"

Clint interrupted her with a dismissive wave of the hand. "I'm fine, Nat. Just go find Barney."

Barney. Natasha had almost forgotten that Clint's brother was supposed to be here. "No, forget it. I'm not going to let you bleed out, idiot."

"Just find my brother!" Clint snapped in response, using his opposite hand to apply pressure to his wounded shoulder.

"Like I said, you're a damn idiot, Barton," Natasha grumbled, making no motion to get up.

"Romanoff, go find my brother," Clint grumbled, wincing slightly.

That earned him a slap in the face. "I'M NOT GOING TO F*CKING LEAVE YOU ALONE, YOUR MY PARTNER YOU BASTARD!"

Before Clint could reply, a loud, annoyed voice yelled, "Will you shut up!"

The two assassins shared a glance before Natasha got up and darted into the next room. Sure enough, there was a man that looked similar to Clint tied to a chair.

"I'm guessing you're the one who the crazy blonde chick was jealous of. You know, she rambles to her prisoners a lot. It's pretty annoying actually… But I guess she had the right to be jealous. You're gorgeous," Barney Barton said with a cocky grin.

"BARNEY! Stop flirting with my fiancé!" Clint whined from the other room.

Natasha just rolled her eyes while Barney gave her a confused look. "What the hell did he do to you to get you to marry him?"

The redhead ignored him as she pulled out a knife and cut the ropes of the chair. She watched as Barney hopped to his feet before she noticed that he was wearing a sweatshirt. "Let me see your jacket."

Barney gave her a confused look, not moving a muscle. With a frustrated growl, she grabbed his arm and pulled the sweatshirt over his head. Then she stomped into the other room and knelt down by Clint.

The archer gave a faint smile. "Hey."

Natasha just let out an emotionless laugh before beginning to wrap the sweatshirt around the wound in his shoulder.

"Hey, Clint."

Clint's stormy blue eyes darted over to his brother and his face expression hardened. "Barney."

Natasha watched in silence as the two brothers stared at each other before Barney said, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what? Leaving me to die?" Clint growled, glaring at him.

Barney hung his head slightly. "I didn't have a choice. Swordsman, he forced me to help him."

"There's always a choice," the sandy blonde SHIELD agent replied.

"Fine, how about this: you stay out of my life and I'll stay out of yours."

Clint hesitated before nodding. "Deal."

Barney began to walk away before calling over his shoulder. "If you ever need me, you know where to find me."

As Clint watched Barney go a sad feeling grew in his chest. He kind of wished that he had forgiven his older brother.

Natasha slipped her arm around his waist, bringing him back in reality. "Come on, Clint. Let's get you to the medics."

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**I hope you liked this chapter. I personally didn't like it very much, but I promise the next one will be better. And please review it makes my day! Also, my updates will probably be at least once a week for now on, although I will be able to post one more time this weekend.**

**And I just want to say that I'm a Beta Reader now! Yay! Lol, I'm just happy about that.**

**pure-black-wings**


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